My son was growing this plant at school and we can't figure out what kind of plant it is. would like to know so I know what it needs. Thanks!=)
When I first came to Canada from England I confused calendula, which in the UK is called a marigold, and what is called a french marigold in the UK but a marigold here. The calendula does not have a serrated leaf while the marigold does. Hope this helps. Margaret
thanks for the help! i'm almost positive it is a marigold! it looks as though there are 3 different plants. should i be separating them?
It's a Tagetes, which is often, though wrongly, called a marigold. As pointed out above, marigolds are correctly Calendula.
Michael, you're nitpicking. As we all know, common names are hugely variable. This said, I agree with Tagetes on the ID, and if I were you, mmmuise, I'd leave them as they are. In my experience, French Marigolds like what you've got like to be a bit crowded. Once they bloom, you can eat the flowers (they're very good in soups, and add a nice spicy-bitter hint), and if you keep them deadheaded they'll rebloom like crazy all summer.
I'd get them planted out in a sunny border asap! You'll love those blooms. :) Michael, correct common names (if there is such a thing) are not dictated by original usage. On an international scale, Marigold is most correctly applied to Tagetes. :)
Not true. Marigold is correctly Calendula, which was called Marigold 500 years before Tagetes was discovered. Field Marigold Calendula arvensis Pot Marigold Calendula officinalis
Michael, I know it's a bummer to realize a word we grew up with has changed, it's happened to me too; but if words were correct only based on their original usage, then every single word we speak would be wrong. Current common usage dictates correctness, just as in all the rest of our language. Here's some proof of international usage: http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=marigold , where Marigold is used for Tagetes almost 10:1, and the few instances where it used for Calendula usually comes with an extra modifier word such as "pot marigold". I think it's dissapointing to see language change, especially when it changes based on an original misunderstanding, as in this case. :)
